ATLANTA — Robert Kraft had made all the necessary rounds in the aftermath of Super Bowl LIII late Sunday night, celebrating the sixth championship for the franchise he bought 25 years ago.

The owner of the Patriots had his embrace with Tom Brady on the field with red, white and blue confetti falling all around them. There was the Vince Lombardi trophy presentation, and countless encounters with family and friends as Kraft passed out 50-year-old cigars, making his way from the field and through the tunnel inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, to the back hallway and on his way to the victorious locker room.

Kraft had one more stop to make before he exited behind a curtained-off area, taking his postgame party private. He waded through a crowd to find Jason and Devin McCourty, both of whom had spent the better part of an hour talking to reporters, reliving every moment of a 13-3 victory over the Rams that was as sweet as they come.

Devin and Jason McCourty celebrate in the locker room following the Patriots' 13-3 victory over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. They became the first twins to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy as teammates Sunday night.(Photo: Art Stapleton/NorthJersey.com)

How competitive are the McCourtys with each other? Well, Jason recalled this week the schedule magnet on mom Phyllis Harrell's refrigerator in their childhood home, and how the twins would keep track of the touchdowns they'd score each game, week by week, with the Pop Warner Valley Cottage team for which they played.

Their second year as teammates, the McCourtys both scored 11.

But this was something completely different following the Patriots' title-clinching win.

"We always talked about playing together in the NFL, going back to when we were 7 years old in Pop Warner, through St. Joe's and Rutgers, and to get here now, me after 10 years in this league, I'm not sure we even talked Super Bowl — we just talked about how special it would be to play together on the same team again," Jason said. "After living out this moment, man, this is special, even more special than anything we could have dreamed of as kids. We are champions, and we earned it. This is surreal."

The Patriots know just how valuable the McCourtys were to their success this season, and from different ends of the spectrum, of course. Devin is one of the more respected players in franchise history, a favorite of Bill Belichick, a multi-time defensive captain and now a three-time Super Bowl champion.

Jason is a relative newcomer despite his 10-year NFL career, one in which he never reached the playoffs until reuniting with his brother in New England.

When Rams kicker Greg Zeurlein missed a 48-yard field goal wide left with five seconds remaining, a kick that would have given Los Angeles a last-ditch prayer of an onside kick and a Hail Mary, the McCourtys sought each other out and embraced.

They were lost in the moment, too, only later learning about those snow angels in that confetti done by their mother; the looks on the faces of their wives; the sight of their children running around through that same confetti on the biggest night of their football lives.

"I remember I was on the field in Arizona when Dev won his first, and the Lombardi trophy came passing by us, our mom said, 'Touch the trophy, touch the trophy,' and I said, 'Nah, I'm not touching the trophy until I earn the right to touch it,'" Jason said. "I earned the right to touch that trophy tonight and I did."

Jason made one of the most significant plays when he tracked down a pass from Jared Goff that was intended for a wide open Brandin Cooks in the back of the end zone.

“Jason McCourty, that was a tremendous play. It was Cooks standing there fair-catching the ball in the end zone,” Belichick said, eliciting laughter from those at his news conference. “McCourty came out of nowhere to make the play. It was a tremendous play.”

"He should've been close enough to pick it off, but I guess breaking it up was almost as good," Devin said with a smile, taking a playful jab at his brother. "That's really the story of our team, though. We had a breakdown on the front end, someone steps up and picks us up on the back end. Two players are better than one in that scenario."

Well, you know, it's become a plenty familiar mantra.

When news broke that Jason was being released by the Browns nearly 11 months ago, Devin fired off a preemptive text to Belichick. "Coach!!! What’s up? Two McCourtys are better than one.”

That certainly was the case for the Patriots this season, and the ending was even more unforgettable than anyone could have hoped.

"Thirty-one years, we've been next to one another, so why not [Sunday] in the Super Bowl," Jason said. "I don't know what we said immediately to each other, but at one point he reminded me of our aunt that passed away early in January, and just how special, I know she's up top watching us and smiling at what's going on."

The McCourtys were smiling, too, and as they left the locker room themselves wearing custom "Mama, We Made It!!!" t-shirts, it was fitting that they walked out together on the way to continue their Super Bowl celebration.

"My mom definitely shed a few tears," Jason said. "She put some of the confetti in her bag, did a few snow angels like she said she would. I know she had hoped and prayed for this. ... As twins, as brothers, to celebrate the Super Bowl means a lot."

And whether the McCourty twins decide to walk away from the game for good is a question for another day, even though Kraft and the Patriots appear ready to do what they can to keep both around.

Two McCourtys indeed proved to be even better than just one.

Email: stapleton@northjersey.com

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